ORANGE PARK – The Town got a $7 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan.

It was the only grant awarded by the state program for a municipality in Clay County. The only neighboring county to receive funds was Duval, which received $11.67 million for two projects.

The grant, titled “Johnson Slough Roadways and Culvert Improvements,” will seek to address infrastructure concerns at Johnson Slough on Plainfield Road, Nelson Drive, Nelson Drive South and Carnes Street via roadway improvements, culvert replacement and improvements and improvements to the project’s overall design, according to Public Works Director Kyle Croce.

He said the town’s engineering consulting firm would assist in enhancing the project design.

Johnson Slough was identified as an area of “critical infrastructure that needs improvement,” according to Croce.

Work is planned to begin this year pending completion of paperwork with the FDEP and a “yes” vote from town council, he said.

A kickoff meeting, the town’s receiving of initial documents, drafting a collaborative grant, and the execution of the grant agreement must be completed before the grant becomes official, an email from the FDEP said.

“We’ll work with our (engineering) consultants as soon as we can this year, and we’ll move forward with the improvements,” Croce said.

The Public Works Director said that other than completing the application, identifying and selecting the area needing the most improvement is the biggest part of applying for the state grant.

“It’s really working through the application process and identifying that critical infrastructure that needs improvement and how that’s going to affect the town, the residents, and the visitors,” he said.

Town officials decided to direct their pitch to the streets near Rob Bradley Conservation Park at Nelson Point and Doctors Lake, prone to flooding after heavy rain.

Lush, swampy, low-lying wetlands and trees such as live oaks define the geography of the residential neighborhood where repairs will likely occur.

For the project, sustainability is key, Croce said.

“A lot of dealing with Resilient Florida (Program) is (ensuring) that it’s sustainable. It is critical infrastructure for traffic, for transportation, and for utilities. (We want) to make sure it is sustainable (overall) and that the infrastructure ‘weathers the storm,’” Croce said.

Public Works Director said that environmental factors and weather patterns like elevation and rising flood levels affect the residential area were two reasons the area was selected.

“Tide changes influence those areas,” he said.

The cost-refundable grant comes at an opportune time for Orange Park, which also seeks to address its infrastructure in some other areas.

It’s an issue that some residents spoke about at Town Hall on Tuesday, July 18.

Croce is “giddy” about the grant.

“It’s a lot of money. It’s big, considering the size and population of the town. I’m excited. Words cannot express it. This community has great support, and together, we’re working towards those goals,” he said.

The grant process was completed by Croce, Town Manager Sarah Campbell and Orange Park’s engineering consulting firm.

The monies will be awarded for the next fiscal year, which starts in October.